We are big proponents of letting children read whatever interests them, including comic books and graphic novels. But some may be surprised to learn that comics, despite having fewer words, can have just as great an impact on vocabulary growth! Research from the University of Oregon found that comic books averaged 53.5 rare or complex words per 1,000. This exceeds the rare word average for children’s books at 30.9 and even for adult books at 52.7.
The following titles would be great options to offer a child or teen in your life:
Thea Stilton Graphic Novels #1: The Secret of Whale Island
written by Elisabetta Dami, illustrated by Rafaella Seccia and Christina Giorgilli
ages 7 and up
It’s the start of the new school year, and the five Thea sisters have arrived at Ratford College. Every year at this time, the whales move off the coast of Whale Island, but this time, a savage killer whale threatens the peace.
Series recommended by Marion Tanner, Fayette County
Coraline: The Graphic Novel
written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by P. Craig Russell
ages 8 and up
When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.
Recommended by Becca Revercomb, Kanawha County
The Last Kids on Earth
written by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate
ages 8 and up
Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and the fiercest girl Jack knows, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer!
Recommended by Blake Kemlock, Age 8, Fayette County
Sanity & Tallulah
written and illustrated by Molly Brooks
ages 8 and up
It can get pretty dull living on a small, out-of-the-way station like Wilnick SS. Best Friends Sanity Jones and Tallulah Vega do their best to relieve the monotony of every day space life by finding adventures, solving mysteries, and taking turns getting each other into and out of trouble. But when Sanity’s latest science project-an extremely-illegal-but-impossibly-cute three-headed kitten-escapes from the lab and starts causing havoc, the girls will have to turn the station upside down to find her-before the damage becomes irreversible!
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: A Graphic Novel
written by Lauren Tarshis, illustrated by Haus Studio
ages 8 and up
George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive – he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can’t resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble. But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Soon the impossible is happening: The Titanic is sinking.
Bad Kitty Gets a Phone (Graphic Novel)
written and illustrated by Nick Bruel
ages 7 and up
Kitty has everything any cat could want–a warm bed, plenty of fresh litter, a machine that dispenses food whenever she wants! But Kitty isn’t satisfied. She has her eye on something that will make her the happiest, most grateful cat in town. Something all the other cats have but that her owners refuse to get her! Something she desperately needs!
Kitty wants…a cell phone. And she can have one if she does all her chores with zero complaints. But can she handle the responsibility?
Series recommended by Peyton Ice, Age 12, Marion County
Girl on Fire
written by Alicia Keys and Andrew Weiner, illustrated by Brittney Williams
ages 14 and up
Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad’s business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother . . . she left long ago. But then Lolo’s world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way. Problem is that secrets like Lolo’s don’t stay a secret for long.
Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
written and illustrated by Laura Gao
ages 14 and up
After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars—at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.
In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi
ages 13 and up
Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s best-selling graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal
written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona
ages 13 and up
Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City – until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she’s comin’ for you, New York!